Puerto Vallarta getaway ~ Modern Milwaukee wedding photographer

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Hola amigos. 🙂

It’s been a bit quiet on the blog lately and personal posts have been few and far between ~ however, that’s not to say life hasn’t been so, so good. 2015 was a fantastic year for my business with 16 weddings, a handful of births, numerous engagement shoots and several family sessions sprinkled into the mix. I simply couldn’t be more thankful.

When I haven’t been working, I’ve been 100 percent “in” with my three kiddos. Our daughter, Gracey, is now 4.5 and our twin boys, Nolan and Sam, are 2.5. (Whhhhhhaaaaat?? Did I just say that?) There isn’t a moment I’m not grateful for the amount of time I’m able to spend with my babes ~ I see it as one of the greatest rewards of being self-employed. That said, with my kids finally becoming a bit more independent (and my feeling of drowning gradually subsiding), I knew it was time to take a little break ~ a mini vacation with some of my dearest friends. Sometimes as parents, and people who are passionate about their work, you tend to give give give. But in order to keep giving, you have to take a few steps back to breathe. You have to. This trip turned out to be everything I could have ever wanted, and more.

Last week, three girlfriends and I returned from a four-day stay in Puerto Vallarta. All four of us are Milwaukee-based photographers ~ Jen, Chrissy and Laurie are, simply put, some of the coolest, most inspiring, supportive, down-to-earth, talented, brave women I know. The time I’ve spent with them through the years has helped keep me going not only as a photographer and business owner, but also as a mama and friend. Jen brought up the idea of a girls’ trip to Mexico about six months back, and as soon as she sent us photos of a villa she had her eye on, we were all in. We started dreaming of poolside chats, sipping margaritas and martinis by the ocean, guacamole to die for, seafood, fish tacos, the architecture of Old Mexico, photo walks, late nights spent laughing and dancing … oh my, take me back.

I thought I would share a few pictures with you all ~ this is a mixture of iPhone photos and camera photos, stitched together to tell a small part of an adventure that will always hold a special place in my heart. I came back feeling happy, inspired, supported, lucky and ready to take on 2016. A big thank you to those who helped love on my babes while I was away, including family members, friends and of course, their #1 daddy.

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We stayed at Casa Montana, the most beautiful, perfect villa within walking distance of the beach. Jen did an amazing job finding us this place to stay ~ her taste is impeccable. 🙂 I’d recommend this villa to anyone looking for a getaway ~ they even had margaritas and fresh guacamole waiting for us when we arrived.

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This is the outside of where we stayed, looking up from the street.

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These were the views from our balconies …

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One of the fantastic restaurants we found was Le Kliff. Amazing views and the best martini I’ve ever had.

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The seafood, mmmm the seafood. This was at The Blue Shrimp, a perfect lunch stop on the beach. Puerto_Vallarta_Vacation_photo021Puerto_Vallarta_Vacation_photo022Puerto_Vallarta_Vacation_photo023Puerto_Vallarta_Vacation_photo024Puerto_Vallarta_Vacation_photo025Puerto_Vallarta_Vacation_photo051Puerto_Vallarta_Vacation_photo026

Let’s chat a bit about this view. Jen suggested walking up to Grand Miramar and checking it out. We came back for drinks on our last night in town ~ I think our chats on this rooftop will be one of my most favorite memories.

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How beautiful is Laurie?? The photo idea was all her …

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We ended up taking a water taxi to the coolest restaurant, Ocean Grill. It’s accessible only by boat (or a really long hike). You have to have a reservation in advance and it’s worth every minute of your time. The house margarita was amazing.

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Chrissy, I love you … Puerto_Vallarta_Vacation_photo039Puerto_Vallarta_Vacation_photo040

Jen and I have known each other for 14 years ~ if you don’t know her, you should. Words can’t express how much I adore this girl.

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This was the pool at our villa ~ so much fun.

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Thank you ladies, for such a fantastic getaway. <3 Cheers to many, many more adventures!

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